You may have noticed I have a thing for ginger cookies of all kinds on my blog. These melt in your mouth, soft gluten free molasses cookies are my new favorite, but truth be told, ginger anything is my favorite even when it’s not cold and wintry — I guess you could say I’m a year-round ginger girl.
That aroma, that spice, that flavor bomb that is anything gingersnappy is what I’m all about. I’d choose it over chocolate any day. Sorry chocolate lovers! I suppose you could add chips?
At any rate, if you’ve tried my gluten free “Thingersnaps” or my gluten free Gingersnaps made from my gfJules Graham Cracker / Gingerbread Mix or my gluten free Gingerbread Man or Gingerbread House recipes, gluten free Gingerbread Cake … or even my gluten free Gingerbread Biscotti, you’ll know what I’m talking about. But don’t think for one minute that there’s not room for another ginger recipe!
That’s where these soft and chewy gluten free Molasses Cookies come in.
Did I mention soft? This recipe takes the best of all the spicy flavors we all love (don’t we?) and tucks them into a cookie we can really get behind. Kind of like the texture of a snickerdoodle, with a crunchy caramelized sugar coating that makes them pretty irresistible.
The recipe is also super, super, super easy to make and only requires a few ingredients. You have to love that in a cookie recipe. Any recipe, really.
At any rate, it’s a recipe that deserves sharing for many reason, and I’m happy to share it with you. If you have my very first gluten free cookbook, Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten Free Eating, you may have already tried this recipe (aka “Gingersnaps”). It’s one my family has been making since way back in our pre-gluten-free days; all I’ve done is exchange the flour for my gfJules Flour in this old family recipe. I love when things are simple.
If you have a favorite family recipe, I encourage you to try converting it to gluten free with my gfJules Flour. Don’t let those delicious traditions go. That’s why I developed my do-everything flour and I think that must be why it keeps being voted #1 certified Gluten Free Flour in the Gluten Free Awards. It works, it’s easy, and it allows folks to use their family recipes again with great success.
And hey, if it brings back recipes as delicious as these soft gluten free Molasses Cookies, it’s definitely a winner!
Soft Gluten Free Molasses Cookies
Soft and chewy with just the right sugary crunch makes these gluten free molasses cookies irresistible any time of year.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/2 cup shortening (Spectrum Organic Palm Oil Shortening) OR mild flavored cooking oil
- 1/4 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg or substitute (like 1/4 cup applesauce OR reconstituted Ener-G egg replacer)
- 1/4 cup molasses (like Grandma's Molasses)
- 2 cups (270 grams) gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
For Dough Balls
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
Cream shortening, butter and sugar together by beating until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
Add egg (or substitute) and molasses, beating until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, then stir into molasses bowl, mixing the batter together until a soft dough forms; do not over-mix. (I use the flat paddle attachment on a stand mixer or a hand mixer will work.)
Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.
Roll 1 inch balls of dough in a small bowl with sugar and place on prepared cookie sheets; space balls 3 inches apart to allow for spread.
Bake for 11 minutes or longer for crunchier cookies. Remove to cool on a wire rack before removing from parchment.
Store in sealed containers once cooled; cookies will stay fresh for at least a week and they also freeze well.
Pin for later!
This is a great recipe! I made it exactly as given and the cookies were delicious. I just made my second batch and this time added 1t. of cardamon as they are for a tea party.
Oh wow, the cardamom addition is a brilliant idea! I bet they were lovely with tea!! Thanks for letting me know how much they were enjoyed!
~jules
My recipe calls for almond flour. Can I substitute your gf flour ?
Hi Helen, if a recipe calls for almond flour, it’s been developed with that in mind, including the moisture and reduced fat requirements of that flour (since almond flour is so high fat). Check out this article on gluten free flours and you’ll understand more about making switches and substitutions. I hope that helps!
~jules